Coca-Cola, Pepsi to Remove Controversial Drink Ingredient

By Duane D. Stanford -
May 6, 2014

Coca-Cola Co. (KO), the world’s largest
beverage maker, plans to remove brominated vegetable oil from
all its U.S. drinks by the end of this year, abandoning an
ingredient that has been targeted by food activists.

The additive, known as BVO, will be taken out of both
ready-to-drink beverages and fountain-machine formulas, Coca-Cola spokesman Josh Gold said in a statement yesterday. BVO is
used as a stabilizer in drinks like Powerade, helping prevent
ingredients from separating. PepsiCo Inc. (PEP), after removing BVO
from Gatorade last year, said that it too is replacing the
additive in the rest of its lineup.

BVO has drawn criticism on social media and online forums
such as Change.org, where Sarah Kavanagh, a teenager from
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, garnered thousands of signed petitions
lobbying against it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lets
drink companies use BVO at up to 15 parts per million, though
the agency dropped it from its “Generally Recognized as Safe”
list of food ingredients in 1970.

Health concerns about BVO stem from its use of bromide, the
element found in brominated flame retardants, according to the
Mayo Clinic. Coca-Cola, based in Atlanta, will switch to using
sucrose acetate isobutyrate or glycerol ester of rosin -- either
alone or in combination.

Chewing Gum

“Glycerol ester of rosin is commonly found in chewing gum
and beverages, and SAIB has been used in beverages for over 14
years,” Gold said in the statement. “All of our beverages,
including those with BVO, are safe and always have been -- and
comply with all regulations in the countries where they are
sold. The safety and quality of our products is our highest
priority.”

On Change.org, Kavanagh says she started her campaign after
learning that BVO has been banned in Europe and Japan and became
more concerned when she learned the ingredient was in drinks
sold at her school.

At PepsiCo, BVO has been used in Mountain Dew and Amp
Energy drinks, in addition to Gatorade.

“We regularly evaluate our formulas and ingredients to
ensure they comply with all regulations and meet the high
quality standards our consumers expect,” Jeff Dahncke, a
spokesman for the Purchase, New York-based company, said in a
statement. “We removed BVO from Gatorade in 2013 in response to
our consumers and since that time we have been actively working
to remove it from the rest of our product portfolio.”